5 Tips for Writing Authentic Crime and Legal Fiction
Writing about a highly technical topic, like crime or the law, can be intimidating. In the world of criminal law there are countless rules, practices and procedures. Criminal lawyers speak their own language. To write a good crime or legal story, a writer needs to have credibility.
Credibility comes from working within criminal law standards and speaking the language of criminal law. But you don’t have to be a police officer or a lawyer to write about crime or criminal law with authenticity. Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Brainstorm: As in any genre, a good story with interesting characters and plot twists should be the starting point. Physically write down the brainstormed ideas without regard to order, quality, or completeness. Just start writing and let the ideas flow.
2. Get inspired: Inspiration often comes from external sources, often in unexpected ways. Read good books and watch good movies, especially crime and legal dramas. Read about crime in the news. Follow interesting essays. Watch true crime stories on TV and read true crime books. You never know when a small detail will spark a story in you.
3. Scheme: Everyone has their own methods and opinions on the scheme. Whether organized by chapter, act, scene, character, or plot point, the outline is an essential tool for organizing a story. The more complex the story, the more important an outline can be. Description can be especially important in a crime novel or legal drama because your story must fit within the rules of the world of criminal law.
For example, if you want exculpatory evidence to be discovered at the end of the second act, you’ll need to know what stage of the legal proceedings the case is in to help determine how the evidence might realistically come to light.
4. Educate yourself: Read about real criminal laws online and in books. Look for information specifically targeted at non-lawyers. See real trials when they are televised. Watch true crime shows. Although they often cut a lot of details, especially procedures, they usually get things right. Read true crime news and books. The same caveat applies to these sources: they’re generally accurate, but they often leave out details you might want to know.
Don’t trust talking lawyer commentators on TV. They usually talk off the top of their heads and are often wrong. They also often have an agenda that they are pushing and talk about things from that point of view. Finally, do not rely on other criminal law fictions. Crime fiction on TV, movies, and books is often completely out of place.
5. Consult an expert: When in doubt, ask a question. As you brainstorm, outline, and draft, make notes of any questions that arise. Consulting an expert, usually a criminal lawyer, can be expensive, so try to find out what you need guidance on before contacting someone. Also, be sure to talk to someone who can explain things simply and clearly, and who is willing to admit when they don’t know something.
Following these tips will give a writer the confidence to create within the world of criminal law and to begin writing authentic criminal and legal stories.
